Spring Shoots I (Wakana: jō), Illustration to Chapter 34 of the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) c. 1509 - 1510

Curator: This is Spring Shoots I, an illustration by Tosa Mitsunobu, designed for Chapter 34 of the Tale of Genji. Editor: It feels like I'm floating! The figures drift across the frame like blossoms scattered on the wind. Curator: Indeed, the painting captures a fleeting moment of courtly life, likely of noble children playing kemari under the watchful eyes of attendants. Editor: I love the flattened perspective, it's like a dream. Look how the colours seem to hum against each other! Curator: Consider its role as an illustration, designed to be viewed within the context of a larger narrative scroll. It reflects the Heian period’s focus on aesthetics and the subtleties of courtly life. Editor: It’s as if the artist is inviting us to join the game, to lose ourselves in the beauty and grace of the moment. I feel so at peace. Curator: A fitting encapsulation of the tale’s themes, then. Editor: Absolutely, I can see why it is considered iconic.